in rhyme--in verse, as it were.

PRINCE.

England? This news comes with such a surprise! The whole country,
Europe--the world--will wonder how England came to deserve such honor.

KING.

Oh, ho! don't flatter the old--lackey! It's an old affair, this one with
England; my wife has been working at it for years.

PRINCE.

The Queen? Why, I fancied--that Her Majesty the Queen was much more in
favor of Austria--

KING. Austria? [_Aside_.]

I might have known she would want to put her own will through. [_Aloud
with decision_.] No. I received today a dispatch from our Ambassador,
who assures me that England is thinking seriously of this plan, of this
marriage arranged in all secrecy. The Prince of Wales has taken ship
from England; it is supposed that he is already landed on the Hanoverian
coast. Meanwhile, a plenipotentiary has left London, in strictest
_incognito_, on his way to treat with me concerning all the details of
the marriage. The envoy is likely to arrive at any moment. You would
place me under obligations to you, therefore--

PRINCE (_in despair_).

Shall it be a pastoral masque?

KING.

Yes. And the Crown Prince can play the flute for it, since he has
learned that art behind my back.

PRINCE (_turns to go, but comes back_).

And the ladies and gentlemen of the Court are to act in it?

KING.

Surely. Give every one of them something to say, only not me. But
Grumbkow must act in it. Yes, Grumbkow must be in it--and the ladies
Viereck and Sonnsfeld--and Seckendorf--and--

PRINCE (_as above_).

Must it be in English or in French?

KING.

Neither. In German, good, pure, fiery German--High German, you
understand, not the Berlin flavor. [_Confidentially_.] And if you could
bring in a little Dutch somewhere--certain considerations of commerce
would render that very pleasing to me; it will be spoken of in the
papers and the Ambassador of Holland will be there--you see, it's about
the importation of tobacco. [_Makes gestures as of smoking and whispers
into the_ PRINCE'S _ear_.] But I suppose a fine young gentleman like
yourself doesn't smoke.

PRINCE (_in despair_).

No, Your Majesty--but my imagination is smoking like any volcano
already.

A LACKEY (_coming in_).

The Privy Councilors urgently pray Your Majesty to receive them.

KING.

Gad, but they must be eaten up by curiosity! Bring them in. [_The lackey
goes out_.] Well, as I was saying--an allegorical marriage
masque--that's wha